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How The Government Treats Their Own

Sources
Say Case Workers for Wounded Laid Off
By Karen Jowers, Army Times

As reported on http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012207O.shtml

Saturday 20 January 2007

Defense Department officials have laid off most of their case
workers who help severely injured service members, sources said.

The case workers for the Military Severely Injured Center
serve as advocates for wounded service members who have questions or
issues related to benefits, financial resources and their successful
return to duty or reintegration into civilian life - all forms of
support other than medical care.

The center officially opened in February 2005, with its
primary offices in Arlington, Va., but also hired advocates at
hospitals around the country.

Four sources said the decision was made to cut back the
personnel because officials with the Army's Wounded Warrior program
felt the Defense Department program was a duplication of efforts.

Defense officials did not comment on the actions as of Jan.
19. Wounded Warrior officials also could not be reached.

Reports indicate that Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; and
Fort Campbell, Ky., were among the locations that had case workers cut.
It is not clear what will happen to case workers at the Arlington
center.

The only case workers that have not been laid off are at three
hospitals: Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas; Tripler Army Medical
Center, Hawaii; and Naval Medical Center San Diego, sources said. But
those case workers will not be allowed to work with soldiers and must
refer them to the Army Wounded Warrior program.

The laid-off workers were told Wednesday to finish up their
case work with severely injured troops, and that Friday would be their
last day.

"I'm just livid about this," said Janice Buckley, Washington
state chapter president for Operation Homefront.

She was notified that the two case workers at Fort Lewis were
given short notice that their jobs were ending, but she has no further
information.

"They did a fabulous job for these families," Buckley said.
"The kind of work they do for these families who are hanging by a
thread ... no other organization helped service members and their
families like they did."

The MSIC case workers provided the wounded service members
with contacts and referrals to other organizations and agencies,
ranging from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Social Security
Administration, depending on their individual needs. Operation
Homefront often helps with the families' emergency financial needs.